Kobo Launches In AudioBook To Compete With Audible
With a year-on-year growth, the audiobook market attracts lusts. So, after buying Audible by Amazon, it’s around Kobo to offer books to listen with or without a subscription.
Kobo offers subscribers on the other side of the Atlantic that can listen to audio books for $ 9.99 per month in the US (and $ 12.99 in Canada). Of course, the first month is free as at Audible.
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The subscription entitles a new audiobook to listen every month. But, it will also be possible to buy them by the unit if you do not think a subscription suits your consumption of books (or to try Your First Month for Free: audiobooks free trial).
In order to offer this service to its customers, Kobo has updated its application for smartphone and tablets Android and iOS (iPhone and iPad therefore). However, if it is possible to buy books from the Android app, the iPhone application only allows them to listen to them. This has been done in order that Apple does not charge its 30% commission on each purchase or subscription …
For Michael Tamblyn, the CEO of Rakuten Kobo, it is obvious:
“We have less time and more books to read. The audiobook allows the reader to read more at different times of the day. The audio allows you to be in two places at a time, to explore the galaxy during your daily commute, to solve a crime while you iron, etc. “
The audiobook industry is becoming huge in the US. The market is valued at $ 1.8 billion in this country alone – for a global market of $ 3.5 billion worldwide.
I think it’s really a good thing to have more competition in this area. Of course, it is not easy to replicate this service in France. In our beautiful country, we do not have as much content and we naturally have to do with translators, actors, publishers, broadcast rights, etc.
But Audible / Amazon is coming in and new publishers are beginning to embark on the adventure. So there is really a card to play for Kobo if they arrive quickly in Europe with this service.
In my opinion, Kobo comes at the right time in the US to make a place alongside Amazon. This will open in addition to new opportunities for the company about its ereaders.
Would not it be perfect to have a reader that also allows streaming and listening to audiobooks?
Kobo, you know what you have to do …
